I miss the 90's.

I miss the 90's. Like, a lot.

I always do, but every once in a while that ache for days gone by seems to overwhelm me to the point where I feel genuinely upset that I can't go back. I'm going through one of those phases right now. Part of it is about being a kid... having a relatively carefree existence and having none of the problems that come with adolescence or adulthood. I look at the face in this photo and think "Oh gosh, young Kate. Enjoy your life now because in 2-3 years you'll have acne and periods and bras and unrequited crushes and terrible, terrible hair."

But it's also THE NINETIES. The decade itself. I am so incredibly happy to have been born just in time to have had a childhood completely devoid of anything related to the internet. Don't get me wrong, I do like the world wide web. I met most of my closest friends online, google searches have saved the day more times than I can count, and I make my living on etsy.

But I miss doing things without feeling that urgent need to share online. I miss waking up and NOT immediately checking my emails. Going a whole day without looking at my iphone or uploading something to instagram, or updating my facebook page. I long for a time in which none of my time was devoted to online sharing.

I miss the simplicity of early 90's technology... MS Paint and The Oregon Trail! And WordArt! I miss VHS tapes! I miss the video stores like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video. Going there always felt like such a treat, and the whole place would smell like popcorn. I miss the ads for movies coming soon to home video in 1993.

I miss scrunchies, peace signs, smiley faces, yin-yangs and daisies. POGS!! Remember Pogs?! I miss the mail order ads in magazines like Teen Beat. I always wanted glow in the dark lipstick but never got up the courage to ask my parents to let me buy it.

I miss jean jackets and tye dye. I miss Drew Barrymore with light hair and dark lipstick. I wanted to look like that so badly. I miss the commercials on tv that STILL are more cool and cutting edge than things that try to seem cool and cutting edge today. I miss the macarena.

I even miss school. Not middle school or high school (Dear God NO) but elementary school, where everything I learned still comes in handy to this day, where learning was fun and my teachers were all super friendly (if Mrs. Copeland is somehow reading this, you were my favorite!!) I miss the book fairs (obviously), recess, school trips and lunch. Airheads, pop tarts, dunkaroos, fruit roll ups, gushers and capri sun!

Thank goodness for modern technology, though. Oh, how terrible life would be if I couldn't watch old back to school commercials on youtube or Aaahh! Real Monsters on netflix instant. The internet allows nostalgia to thrive, so for that above all else, I love the world wide web.

Giveaway: $75 Paraders gift certificate! [closed]

I am incredibly excited about this giveaway! Rachael from The Paraders is offering $75 to spend in her shop -- you can spend it on any of the vintage pieces in her shop, or on something from her amazing new vintage reproduction line! Pre-orders for the stunning collection start next week so I suggest you keep an eye out on The Paraders website, whether you win the giveaway or not! ;)



What you'll win: $75 gift certificate to The Paraders

How to enter: Register for The Paraders mailing list and then leave a comment with some way to contact you (twitter, e-mail, your blog.. whatever floats your boat!) Also, you must be a follower of this blog to enter! This is mandatory, too! (And, please, none of this follow-and-leave as soon as the giveaway is over jazz.. that's super rude!)

For additional entries: (leave a separate comment for each entry)
1. Tweet this "I just entered to win a $75 gift certificate for theparaders.com on @kategabrielle's blog http://www.scathingly-brilliant.blogspot.com" (Only counts if you use that exact tweet.)
2. Like The Paraders on Facebook.
3. Follow The Paraders blog

This giveaway ends on September 21st at 12:01AM EST. Giveaway is over.

ps! I'm incredibly honored to be the first Paraders Blogger of the Month! You can check out my interview on the Paraders blog here! :)

Winner: Comment #170

little boxes

It may not be time for coats and hats just yet, but it's definitely time for layering! yay! :)

Honestly I'm having one of those days where I just can't think of a darn thing to write about. My mind is filled to the brim with thoughts about my top-secret project I mentioned yesterday, getting Flapper Doodle ready for the holiday season, my trip to Disney World in exactly 2 months (along with my first ever ride on an airplane! eek!) and I don't have much room for the little chit chat I usually reserve for my blog!

One thing though... I'm a little excited about this so I thought I'd share it here. This week I opened a savings account to save up for a house! ah! When I say "house," I really mean a tiny studio condo in town, but let's just call it a house anyway. My goal is to have the down payment saved by November 12, 2016, my thirtieth birthday! I really think I can do it, and it's such a nice thing to have to look forward to now! :)

hm, I guess I actually had plenty to write about today after all!

Dress - c/o PB&J boutique | Shirt - c/o emerging thoughts | Shoes - modcloth

yellow stripes

I got this vintage dress from Dutch Drift last winter after I'd been constantly visiting it in my etsy favorites. I just kept coming back to it... the pretty pale yellow watercolor stripes and the dainty scalloped neckline were just too good to resist!

I've been overdoing it on work a bit lately... I've hardly had any sleep in the last couple of weeks and my eyes are killing me! You know that feeling when your eyes are so sore it actually hurts to keep them open, and your brain is so tired that when your eyes focus on something you have a hard time summoning the strength to avert them? Anyway... it's all because of a super fun (yet still very secret!) project I'm working on that I will be sharing in a few weeks! *excitement!*

Dress - vintage | Cardigan - tj maxx | Shoes - UO | Brooch - Oh Yeah Cat Heads